Facilities matter, and yours seem to be on par with those you would find in most BCS Conferences. No disadvantage there. The biggest obstacles to UCONN elevating it's program are recruiting base, and program support.
In terms of recruiting base, there are simply not enough high end players in the Northeast to feed all of the programs that recruit there regularly. You are up against not only a handful of helmet schools, but a number of regional programs as well.
UCONN should work any connections to the South as much as possible. Your coaches should work camps at smaller schools, and spend as much time there as humanly possible. Schools like Wisconsin, Purdue and NW have mined Fl for years in order to grab athletes.
Even after all of the SEC and national powers have fed, there are still literally hundreds of kids going to lower tier B1G, ACC, Big 12, Conference USA, and AAC Programs on a yearly basis. These kids grow up in football cultures, and play the sport year round. If they qualify academically, sell them on opportunity, and education.
The other issue, program support, is more difficult. Kind of a chicken or the egg type argument. It is hard to land higher end prospects when the atmosphere at games isn't the greatest, but it is difficult to have a great atmosphere when the quality on the field is lacking. The diehards need to continue their support, while the team turns things around on the field. Maybe you catch lightning in a bottle with a great season, that creates a great environment, and in turn attracts higher level recruits. Once the snowball gets rolling things can sustain themselves.
